Part 20 (1/2)
When she glanced over at him, his eyes communicated encouragement at odds with his mask of obedience. She fought back a smile, discovering that it warmed the very c.o.c.kles of her heart to have an ally like him at a moment like this.
But when she turned back to the Turkish amba.s.sador once more, she a.s.sumed her royal glower. ”You see, gentlemen, Colonel Knight and I just returned from searching the spot on the road where someone tried to kidnap me the other night-or kill me-it's hard to say for certain which, but why split hairs? We found this dagger there and, as you can see, it comes from your corner of the world.”
”If Her Highness is implying-but this is absurd!” the Turk cried, glancing from her to Lord Griffith in protest. ”The Porte Sublime has no designs on Kavros!”
”Good,” Sophia said coolly. ”In that case, Sultan Mahmud might wish to have a word with Ali Pasha. If he has his eye on my nation, someone ought to tell him not to try it. He will fail.”
The Ottoman amba.s.sador appeared confounded. Sophia was starting to think that he knew nothing, but actions spoke louder than words. When he gave them some solid a.s.sistance in finding out who was behind this, then she'd accept his claims of innocence.
Lord Griffith, for his part, looked like he wanted to strangle her. ”May I remind Her Highness that England has no quarrel with the Turks?”
”Nor do we want one,” Gabriel hastened to interject. He gave the Sultan's agent a courteous smile. ”If the amba.s.sador is in a position to help us, then I am certain he will do so.”
”Humph!” Sophia conceded with a haughty toss of her head, but she sensed her role in this little drama had come to an end. Time to exit left and let her able partner take center stage.
”Gentlemen,” she clipped out in terse farewell. She pivoted and without a backward glance, swept from the chamber.
But unseen by the others, she sent Gabriel a wink full of cheeky satisfaction as she pa.s.sed him.
Pulling the door to the Map Room shut behind her, Sophia leaned back against it for a second and let out a large exhalation. Well, that was somewhat rea.s.suring.
Judging by the amba.s.sador's reaction, she did not get the feeling that the Ottomans were the ones who were trying to kill her. And that was certainly good news.
”Your Highness?” Timo stepped toward her and searched her face in concern. ”Is everything all right?”
She gazed fondly at him. ”My old friend. Everything's just fine. Come.” She rallied her spent strength after that nerve-racking confrontation. ”I wish to retire to my chambers.”
He snapped his fingers at the others. They fell into formation. Sophia's step was light as she returned to her gilded apartments with her retinue of trusty Greeks in tow.
Gabriel stepped to the fore, loosely clasping his hands as he approached the men. The placating role was wholly unfamiliar, nor did he like it much. But she was worth it, he supposed, this blow to his warrior pride. ”I beg your pardon, sirs, for this intrusion by the princess. I could not stop her-Her Highness was terribly upset. I can only hope you gentlemen will understand the poor girl is distraught over the attempt on her life.”
Griff eyed him warily, but the Turkish amba.s.sador begrudged him a somewhat mollified nod.
”I am certain Her Highness would have wished me to a.s.sure you that Kavros welcomes the friends.h.i.+p of the great Sultan Mahmud. Which is why,” he added, explaining in a delicate tone, ”we thought it proper to warn the Sultan of any possible new intrigues arising from Janina. We would certainly wish to save His Serene Majesty from any embarra.s.sment or...inconvenience. Just in case the Porte Sublime is not already aware of such activities, that is.”
”Sultan Mahmud prides himself on knowing everything that transpires throughout his domains,” the amba.s.sador answered with an indignant lift of his chin.
”Of course, sir.” Gabriel bowed modestly.
”If there is any such mischief afoot, we will certainly get to the bottom of it immediately.”
”Mr. Amba.s.sador, that is all we ask. We should be extremely grateful for whatever information you are able to provide.” He paused. ”By the by, sir, may I show you the markings on this blade? They are most unusual.” Gabriel pulled the knife out of the table with a wrench, then presented the flat of the blade to the Turkish amba.s.sador. ”Have you ever seen these symbols before?”
Gabriel studied the Ottoman's face intensely, and saw how the amba.s.sador paled as his stare locked on the odd little squiggle at the base of the blade, quite apart from the Koranic verses inscribed on the hilt.
”Is this symbol familiar to you?”
”No, I-I have never seen it before. May I-take this with me to show to my colleagues? Perhaps one of them may be able to identify the mark.”
Gabriel nodded. ”Indeed, sir. We would appreciate that.”
Quickly masking his consternation, the Turkish amba.s.sador rose from his chair and bowed to them. ”Lord Griffith, Colonel. Her Highness may rest a.s.sured I will do all in my power to unearth whatever information I can to add to her protection.”
”We thank you, sir. Shukran. Masaa' alkhayr.” Gabriel gave the Turk a bow in the Eastern fas.h.i.+on hand to heart.
The amba.s.sador returned it, bid Griff a good evening, and then hurried off to start making inquiries of his own about the attempt on Sophia's life.
As Gabriel watched him leave the room, he wondered just what the man knew about the symbol on that dagger. The mysterious markings definitely seemed to worry him.
The door closed and his suave brother-in-law instantly turned to him with a rare show of anger. ”What the h.e.l.l was that little stunt?”
CHAPTER.
ELEVEN.
G abriel bristled. ”Sorry?”
”You expect me to believe that young chit could run roughshod over you? You had a part in this, do not deny it! Don't you realize what a catastrophe that could have been?”
”But it wasn't,” he said coolly.
Griff glared at him, but backed off a bit. ”Gabriel, you can't let the girl go tearing about in this fas.h.i.+on. Good G.o.d, after growing up with a spitfire like your sister, I'd have thought you could handle the princess better than that!”
”Handle her?” His face darkened as he took umbrage at his kinsman's words. ”I thought it was my duty to protect her, Griff.”
”Yes, from herself, if need be, as well as from would-be a.s.sa.s.sins.”
”Beg your pardon, old man, but considering all the girl's got on the line in this-she's risking heart and soul and blood in this quest of hers-don't you think you're being just a little condescending toward her?”
”Condescending?”
”Do not underestimate this woman. Her Highness is more than just a pretty young thing who happens to have the right lineage for our purposes. She is young, true, but she has great courage and more brains than the average man.”
”Does she, indeed?” Griff folded his arms across his chest and stared at him. ”Don't tell me she's gotten to you, too?”
”Of course not! Don't be absurd,” Gabriel muttered with a scowl. The blunt question confused him; his guarded response was automatic, if not entirely honest. ”I just...think you should be fair to her, that's all.”
”Well, she's not the only one risking herself here. The stakes are high for us, too. She simply can't go running about half-c.o.c.ked making accusations against England's allies-”
”Ah, don't blame her, it was my idea,” Gabriel admitted with a dismissive wave of his hand.
”Your idea?”
”Well, it worked, didn't it?”
”Gabriel!”